Gralyn
A feminine name derived from Cornish and Breton origins meaning "valley dweller".
Name Census estimates that about 31 living Americans carry the first name Gralyn. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Gralyn today is around 66 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Gralyn births was 1962 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Gralyn. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Gralyn is about 66 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Gralyns were born before 1970.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Gralyn. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
31
~ 1 in 11,056,592 Americans
Peak year
1962
8 babies that year
Average age
66
years old
1962 SSA rank
#3,145
Tracked since 1955
Popularity
Gralyn: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Gralyn from the 1950s through to the 1960s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 19 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Gralyn by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Gralyn during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Gralyn
The name Gralyn is a gender-neutral given name of English origin that can be traced back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "græg" and "lind," meaning "gray" and "linden tree," respectively. The combination of these words suggests a connection to the natural world, with the linden tree being a common plant found in England during that time.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gralyn can be found in the Domesday Book, a manuscript record of the great survey of England completed in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Gralind" and "Graylind," indicating its presence in the region during the Norman conquest.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the name Gralyn was associated with individuals from various walks of life, including nobility, clergy, and commoners. One notable figure bearing this name was Gralyn de Montfort, a 13th-century English nobleman and knight who fought alongside Simon de Montfort during the Second Barons' War against King Henry III.
In the 15th century, Gralyn Woodville, a member of the prominent Woodville family, was recorded as a lady-in-waiting to Elizabeth Woodville, the Queen consort of King Edward IV. Her presence in the royal court highlights the name's association with nobility during the late medieval period.
Venturing into the Renaissance era, Gralyn Tyndale, born in 1492, was a renowned scholar and translator who played a pivotal role in the English Reformation. He is best known for his English translation of the New Testament from Greek, which influenced subsequent English Bible translations.
Fast-forwarding to the 19th century, Gralyn Macaulay, born in 1823, was a Scottish historian and writer who authored several influential works on British history, including "The History of England from the Accession of James II" and "Critical and Historical Essays."
While the name Gralyn may not be as common today as it once was, its rich history and connections to the natural world, nobility, and scholarly pursuits make it a unique and intriguing choice for parents seeking a name with depth and meaning.
People
Gralyn + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Gralyn as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with G
Other first names starting with G with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Gralyn: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Gralyn?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 31 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Gralyn going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 11,056,592 US residents.
Is Gralyn a common name?
We classify Gralyn as "Very Rare". It ranks above 47% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 38 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Gralyn most popular?
The single biggest year for Gralyn was 1962, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Gralyn is about 66 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Gralyn in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Gralyn a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Gralyn in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Gralyn still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Gralyn in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Gralyn can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are named Gralyn?
Want to know how many Americans are named Gralyn? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.